SEEDS Blog
From Jeff: A Thank You and a Goodbye

From Jeff: A Thank You and a Goodbye

Published Wednesday, Nov 6, 2019

Friends of SEEDS,

 

Two and a half years ago, I joined SEEDS as its new Executive Director, unsure of what the future would hold but full of hope for all that we as a community could do to support students and Durham’s next generation of leaders. Over that time, I have continually been amazed and impressed with each student, volunteer, donor, and community member who has invested their time, talents, and resources to ensure that each day, SEEDS can be a place of support and learning for each young person that comes to 706 Gilbert St. In the time I have been privileged to serve at SEEDS, we have worked together to make our after-school programs completely free to all families in our community, relaunched the paid DIG high school program, and celebrated 25 years as an organization growing, cooking, and sharing food. We hired 5 new staff members and grew our enrollment to double its previous size. We partnered with hundreds of volunteers to cultivate the SEEDS farm into a more productive, biodiverse, and beautiful space. We shared Harvest Dinners and sprouted seedlings in the greenhouse, hosted preschool groups and pulled a lot of weeds. I want to say a truly heartfelt thank you to every person I have had the opportunity to work with and for your support in my role at this wonderful organization. Thank you for your support, accountability, for your trust in me stepping into this space in Durham, and for all of the ways that you have supported me personally and SEEDS as an organization over the past two and a half years. 

 

After much deliberation, I wanted to share that I have accepted a new role within the nonprofit community here in the Triangle and will begin this new chapter at the start of 2020. I only feel comfortable stepping into this new role because of the amazing team and community support that I know is behind SEEDS and that will continue to guide its growth as an organization and move towards achieving goals for the development of our youth. Over the coming weeks, I’ll be working closely with our Board of Directors and staff to ensure that this transition is a smooth one and that through it all, SEEDS remains dedicated to its values and mission as it moves forward into a new year and renewed commitment to its students. I am fully confident that we will continue to operate with excellence during this transition and ask for your support of our team over the next few months as we look towards the future. Please know that I am still SEEDS’ biggest fan and will continue to support its growth in my new capacity. 

 

Lastly, the Executive Director position at SEEDS is looking for applicants in November and December and we are excited to receive your recommendations to find the right person to fill this role as we continue to grow. Please send us your thoughts, ideas, or suggestions directly to executivesearch@seedsnc.org and share the job posting at www.seedsnc.org/jobs. Thank you for all of your support during this transition and for all that you do for SEEDS and for our youth. 

 

Best,

 

Jeff